


The Wonderful Burning Pit known as Bang Dream

by Chutaku



Category: BanG Dream! (Anime), BanG Dream! Girl's Band Party! (Video Game)
Genre: AU-Western, Actual plot, F/F, Tsugumi/Mashiro, because showdowns are... fights to the death and that's not good, chapters, consistent updates don't exist, first 5 chapters are old ones, hiatus for a long time, moca is a troll, mostly for practice, serious crackfics?, stories and oneshots, tsugumi with a knife??, what if yukina and ran had a singoff, you guys sure do love rarepairs
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-16
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:28:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 17,998
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25926673
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chutaku/pseuds/Chutaku
Summary: A collection of Bandori stories.Edit: updates are non-existent, but hey, maybe one day I'll get all 25 chapters done
Relationships: Hikawa Sayo/Udagawa Tomoe, Ichigaya Arisa/Hanazono Tae, Udagawa Tomoe/Uehara Himari
Comments: 29
Kudos: 24





	1. K-Kaoru-san! You're going to crush Kokoro!

**Author's Note:**

> Unbeknownst to Misaki who is focusing on writing new lyrics, Hagumi and Kaoru are up to another braincell-less idea that will lead to broken bones and 911 calls.

All the members of Hello Happy World were at Kokoro’s room as usual for their daily band practice. Instead of keeping Kokoro, Hagumi, and Kaoru out of trouble, Misaki decided to sit in the corner and peacefully work on writing the lyrics for a new song. This led to Kanon letting out an unhealthy amount of “Fuee”s while chasing and trying her best to stop Kaoru and Hagumi from doing a braincell-less idea.

“Ah, Hagumi, my little kitten~ I was but wondering if the spotlight of the stage shines away from the Bard’s home, out into the light and world beyond~,” Kaoru exclaimed very fleetingly. 

“Hrm…" Hagumi thought for a second, rubbing her chin with her hand. "Oh! I get it now! Kaoru-senpai, you’re so smart!” Hagumi responded back with that same type of energy she got whenever they were going to pull of a stupid idea that would definitely hurt one of them if not for Misaki running headfirst at them to prevent an injury. 

“Fufu, 'tis true but you are fleeting as well, my dear kitten~” Kaoru replied with a flourish of her hands.

“Yeah! You know that part in your favorite play when the Phantom Thief swoops in? Let’s do that right now! Let’s tape our sheet music together into a rope and tie it on the fancy light thingy on the roof so you can swoop in fantastically, just like you did on stage!” Hagumi said quickly, already practically bouncing up and down in excitement. Without waiting around to see Kaoru's nod of approval, she ran around the room as fast as the track star she was, gathering sheet music littered around the floor and haphazardly taping them together with extremely excessive amounts of tape.

“Fuee!” Kanon picked up on what was happening rather quickly while looking around frantically. "I better tell Misaki-chan," she told herself worriedly. She quickly hurried over to Misaki, who was deep in thought transcribing Kokoro’s scribbles into a song that they could perform. “M-Misaki-chan! Kaoru-san a-and Hagumi... t-they’re going to use a rope of papers as a swing from the chandelier!” she nervously explained. Even as she said it, she subtlety noted how crazy that sentence sounded.

Misaki moved her hand quickly across the paper, scribbling words, then looked up and sighed. She never thought she would have to hear that sentence in her life, but then again, here she was. “I guess the lyrics will have to wait," she said more to herself.

Seeing Kanon's concerned look, she clarified quickly. "It's okay Kanon-san. I wasn't having much luck either on those lyrics." Sighing again, she said, "You know how random Kokoro is. Just take that randomness and double it and then you'll know how her drawings are."

"Misaki-chan..." Kanon said anxiously. "If you want, I can help write songs with you. I'm not that busy, so I'll have free time quite often," Kanon offered.

Misaki shook her head as she felt a tinge of red light her cheeks. She was used to helping others and setting things up, and making sure everything went well in general. Knowing that someone was offering to help her was enough to keep her doing what she did.

"Thanks Kanon-san, but I doubt that you'll be able to decipher Kokoro's scribbles." Misaki smiled half-heartedly. "And that's only partly a joke."

"Are you sure, Misaki?" Kanon insisted. She knew how much work Misaki had to do, and some of it such as DJing in a hot and heavy bear suit was one of the hardest. And to go with it, underappreciated things she had to put up with. Knowing the others carefree ignorance, she genuinely wanted to check up on Misaki and make sure she was doing okay. Especially knowing the others and their antics. But Kanon smiled even while she thought that. Kaoru, Kokoro, and Hagumi are what made Hello Happy World, Hello Happy World, she thought. We might be a bit different, but that different is what helps bring a smile to other people's faces. 

Misaki put a hand on Kanon's arm gently, bringing her back to the present. "Thanks for offering to help though. You know what they say, it's the thought that counts." This time Misaki's smile was grateful and gentle.

"E-eep, Misaki, it's alright! We're here for each other. That's what friends and bandmates are for." Kanon said, responding with a smile of her own.

"OKAY! JUMP JUMP JUMP!" The shout streaked across the room. "We can do it! Come on, Kaoru-kun, say it with me! Happy, Lucky, Smile, Yay!" Hagumi's cheer was like electricity zapping through Misaki and Kanon's skulls. Slowly, both heads turned to brace themselves for what they would see next, knowing whatever it was wouldn’t be a good thing.

Somehow, Kaoru had managed to balance on top of the closet wall and was holding onto a rope that Hagumi managed to loop around one of the arms of the chandelier. The ladder that was supporting Kaoru was rickety and would fall any moment, but the baka-duo didn't realize that. Instead, they were applauding each other's efforts that created this crazy scene that defied all logic and reason. But it was something they were used to, and it wasn't even that bad compared to some of Hello Happy World's other "band activities" such as performing while skydiving. That was what Hello Happy World was in a way, a gaggle of incomprehensible people. But somehow, that added to their charm, which helped their goal of making the world smile. So it was a win-win, right?

"Magnificent! For the bard's shining words weren't mere tomfoolery! Now, I shall swing though the clear air and be reborn into the form of a bird, graceful and a symbol of life!" Kaoru announced very fleetingly. She poised so she was ready to kick off the ladder and swing from one side of the large room to the other. Which was what she thought would happen, which was completely different than what would actually happen of course. And the reality being that the paper would collapse under her weight, the chandelier would fall, or most likely, both of them. 

Misaki held back a swear word and started running toward the ladder as fast as she could, but deep down inside in her heart was a feeling that chaos would ensue. "Kaoru-san, that flimsy paper chain won't support you! Just get down already, look, here! I'll hold the ladder in place while you get down alright?” Misaki said as reassuringly as possible, even though it took everything she had to keep her voice from trembling and shouting for help. "Calm down calm down calm down!" Misaki muttered to herself.

Even though Kaoru could be a bit overwhelming at times, she was still Misaki's friend and bandmate. The last thing she wanted was to see Kaoru hurt and knowing that she could've prevented it. Not to mention her group of admirers would probably hunt her down for hurting their beloved actress. She shuddered at the thought and focused on the task at hand. 

Kaoru's voice only made Misaki's head spin faster as she talked in words nobody used anymore in modern Japan. "What do you mean, my dear Misaki? This rope was made by a certain fleeting little kitten that I completely trust~. Tis no way this wonderful rope will ever fail me!" Kaoru said confidently. "Fear not, I will most definitely make sure you too can also experience the magic of the stage as well!"

Shaking her head, Misaki tried to keep her head cool. "No and no, that's not how this will work out!" Misaki said between gritted teeth, more out of worry than anger under her breath. Her eyes flew around the room frantically to see something, anything, that would help save Kaoru.

"Alrighty, Kaoru, are you ready? Let's go! Three... two... one! YAY!" Hagumi pumped her fist in the air with a wide smile on her face.

"NO!" Misaki screamed, but it was too late.

Kaoru had already kicked off her perch, throwing an extravagant pose as she fell. Her hand that clutched the paper chain might as well have been holding air. As expected, the rope ripped, and the chandelier careened precariously. Misaki held her breath, but it luckily didn't fall. Kaoru waved her hand while speaking in some archaic words she didn’t understand, or cared, what they meant while she fell. Misaki's predicament only got worse when she realized that Kaoru was poised to fall onto Kokoro, who was humming a song and drawing something with crayons on the rug below.

Kanon called out, "It's okay, Misaki-chan! Move out of the way!" 

Out of instinct and her trust in Kanon, Misaki did just that. But when she realized it she yelled back, "Kanon-san, have you lost your mind too? This is clearly not okay- oh shoot, how am I going to explain this? What if they press charges... WHAT IF KAORU DIES!"

As if in slow motion, Kaoru slowly fell down, but as if in even slower motion right out of a badly made action film from the 90s, the Suits knocked down the door and bursted in, streaming in one after another. The first one shouted, "Kokoro-sama!" while pushing her out of harm's way. The others followed suit and pig-piled on top of each other, until time seemingly went back to normal and Kaoru flopped on top of them all, striking a fleeting pose as she landed. “Ah, you precious kittens, I will forever be in your debt! You saved a fallen prince such as myself without regard for your own well being, how hakanai! "

"An-anything for Kokoro-sama," one of them grunted.

Misaki sighed in relief as the suits were face planting themselves near Kokoro, each apologising for the one who pushed her. Kokoro was nonplussed and said, "It's okay, Suits people! I'm fit as a fiddle, so you don't need to worry about me! Instead, you should smile!" she finished with a smile of her own that was as bright as the sun.

Misaki smiled at the silly non-comprehensible sight, then shook her head, jumping back slightly when she realized that Kanon was right next to her.

"Oh! Kanon-san!" Misaki said in surprise.

"Ah sorry, Misaki, I didn't mean to scare you," Kanon apologized, dipping her head slightly.

"No, no, it's okay!” Misaki reassured her. “I just need to ask you a question.”

Even after all that happened, Kanon was still curious as to what Misaki was wondering about. Misaki didn't ask questions unless they were about what she viewed as important, which wasn't much, only the band and other basic things like that.  
"What is it, Misaki? If you need help with anything, don’t hesitate to ask!" Kanon said a bit too eagerly. 

Misaki adjusted her trademark cap and shifted her feet. "Um, I was just wondering how you knew that the Suits were coming? How did they even know that Kokoro was in danger?" she asked, genuinely confused.

"Well... I guess I just have a sense for things like that, I guess. Some of my other friends would tell me that I could always tell when they had a problem or when something was wrong," the blue-haired drummer explained.

"Oh, so it's like how I can decipher Kokoro's drawings and turn them into lyrics, in a way." Misaki thought out loud.

Kanon nodded her head. “I suppose it’s a bit like that.” She looked over at Kaoru, reciting lines worthy of Ako's while throwing her hands all over the place in a series of hakanai movements. A series of fast-paced hums caught her attention away from the purple-haired guitarist's, her eyes shifting downward to the floor where Kokoro was drawing stick figures and... where those instruments? A streak of orange hair made her turn her head to another direction, where Hagumi was zipping around, helping pick up scrap papers and empty water bottles.

“Hm? Kanon-san, what’re you looking at?” Misaki asked.

Kanon simply flicked her eyes over to the rest of the band, and Misaki understood. It was hard, sometimes, baby-sitting and managing the band, but they remembered everything the san-baka did to keep the band at it’s best. Kokoro could come up with the most creative and fantastical ideas, not to mention fund all of the bands expenses. Kaoru’s passion and mere presence helped the band move forward, as well as attract more fans. Hagumi’s energy and smiles kept the band in good spirits, and her croquettes were always a nice treat.

At that moment, Kanon and Misaki were thinking the same thing. That maybe Hello Happy World was not as organized or professional as other bands. Maybe their music wasn’t as good either. But what mattered was that they brought smiles everywhere they went, and that every member treasured the band and all the fun and precious memories that came with it.


	2. Summer Confessions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On a blistering summer day, Afterglow decides to have a sleepover at Ran's house. Due to some certain circumstances, unplanned confessions of love take place...

Crickets created an orchestra of sound outside Ran's house. It was a sweltering August day, and the temperature had just peaked over 95 degrees. That was about average for a summer afternoon in Japan, but that didn't change the fact that the air felt like an oven's.

Tsugumi, Himari, Moca, and Tomoe were gathered at Ran's house for a sleepover since Ran's dad was away for a business trip having to do with the flower arranging school. Ran's mom took a vacation to the beach with her own friends, and once Ran had casually told Himari that during a rehearsal, Moca had never let it go.

"Ran-chan, you need to let loose and have some fun! It's a typical thing to do for teenagers. Your parents are gone, so why don't we have a sleepover? Parties make Moca-chan tired after all~," Moca had pestered Ran constantly.

"B-but..." Ran sighed. "I mean, I get that we're teenagers but you know how crazy Afterglow can get. How crazy *you* can get?" Ran raised an eyebrow.

Moca waggled her own in response, and Himari noticed her do that and tried to raise one eyebrow herself. Instead, she only managed to scrunch up her face in a twisted contortion while Tomoe tried her hardest to muffle her snickering.

"What do you mean, Ran? We're your childhood friends, and we're veryyyy responsible. We wouldn't do anything bad, you know that," Moca replied.

After some sort of crazy coincidence set up by the universe, everyone's schedules were miraculously empty that day they planned to hold the sleepover. Since it was hot, Himari desperately asked that they go to the beach. Her pouting won over Tomoe and Tsugumi, as the cinnamon bun she always is, couldn't manage to say no. But Moca wasn't on board, and Ran was strongly against the idea.

"I've only talked to Okusawa-san a couple of times, but I think I realize how she and Matsubara-san feels when they have to manage everyone else in Hello Happy World," Ran thought out loud to herself. "We are not, emphasis on not, going to go to the beach last minute." Ran had her fair share of rushed last-minute vacations and things of the sort, and none of the experiences were good ones.

"Hey, what do you mean that you have to manage us?" Tomoe and Himari said at the same time after a silent battle of eyebrow moving.

Ran smiled. "No, not you guys," she clarified. Instead, she turned to Moca, and the smile turned upside down. "I was talking about this bread lover over here."

"Hey~! Ran-chan, that isn't true~ and you know that," Moca smirked. 

The bickering continued for a while, but everyone except Ran agreed to have a sleepover instead, since Himari said if they couldn't go to the beach the next best thing they could do is spend some more time together before school started again.

And that's how this came to be, Ran thought to herself, and sighed.

Himari was chasing Tomoe around the kitchen attempting to get her to set up an inflatable waterslide in Ran's backyard as well as trying to convince her to put on a swimsuit Himari just "randomly happened to have on hand", as she put it. Moca was leaning into the refrigerator with the door completely open while eating away the Mitake family's entire supply of bread, or all of the bread she could find in the house. When Moca wasn't cramming bread in her mouth, she called out jests to Himari such as "Oi, Himari, are you sureee you don't like Tomo-chin? You always say if she was a guy you'd never let her go, but let me tell you something real quick." 

Moca reached her hand into the pile of bread and brought a 7th croissant into her mouth. "You see, ~ Himari, the thing is..." she swallowed and waited for Himari to come around again. "Tomoe doesn't have to be a guy if you want to date her!"

"Mocaaa! Stop it! You know that I don't like girls!" Himari protested, despite the fact that her cheeks were unusually red. 

"So you don't like me? Or Ran? Or Tsugu or Tomoe?" Moca pretended to cry. "I'm deeply hurt, Himari~" Moca said as she wiped an imaginary tear from her eye.

"Moca! You know what I mean! Not in the like-like type of way you know." Himari desperately said, but much to her avail, Moca responded back with a "so you fake like me?"

Ran sighed at their antics. The fan in front of her that was on the highest setting didn't do much to relieve her of the blistering heat, and she wasn't even sure if the AC was on either. 

A sudden thought split through her mind. "Where's Tsugumi?" she asked aloud. A jolt of worry streaked across her mind as well. 

"Moca! If you did something to poor Tsugu, I'm going to take away all your bread for a week!" Ran shouted, threatening Moca with the only thing that she knew Moca was truly scared of.

"What?! Ran, no~ you can't do that to poor Moca-chan..." Moca groaned. But as Ran twisted her head back, she saw that Moca had stood up from her slouch on the freezer. "I didn't do anything to Tsugu, I promise! Just don't take my bread away, ~"

"Ran? I'm over here," Tsugumi called out. "Um, if you guys are hungry, I prepared ice cream sundaes for you guys! I can always stick them in the frig..." She stopped as she noticed Moca who had regained her position of melting in the fridge. 

"Tsugumi..." Ran and Moca said at the same time with a warmth for the brown-haired key-boardist. "You really are a cinnamon bun," Moca said as she finally left the fridge and walked over to grab an ice-cream bowl. "Mmmm... so cold and sweet and creamy~" Moca exclaimed with more energy than her usual Moca drawl. 

"Um, I don't know what you mean by ‘cinnamon bun’ but I'm guessing that's a compliment..?" Tsugu replied with a happy smile.

Ran gratefully shot a brief smile to Tsugumi. That ice cream would definitely be a better relief from the heat than the fan. She forced herself to stand up and called Himari and Tomoe over. "Hey guys..?" but they were nowhere to be seen.

Ran walked past the kitchen into the living room. "Guys..?" she whispered. 

She would never be able to unsee what was in front of her, something that she was definitely NOT supposed to see.

Tomoe had planted her arm against the wall, kabedon trapping Himari. Her cheeks were flushed a light shade of red, but that was nothing compared to Himari's full on blush. 

"Is Himari going to be alright? She looks like she has a 100 degree fever," Ran thought to herself.

"T-Tomoe! what are you doing?" Himari squeaked. Now even the tips of her ears were on fire.

"You know," Tomoe said off-handedly, avoiding eye contact with Himari. "Well... you wouldn't stop chasing me around no matter how much I told you to stop so... I just wanted to, er, make sure you listened this time." Tomoe said a bit awkwardly. The tension between them both was unbearable, so Tomoe tried to lighten things up by smiling, but it somehow came out as a cocky grin instead.

"Kyaa~" Himari felt her knees weaken like a textbook main character of a shoujo anime as she sank to the floor. It was fitting though, since this entire scenario looked like something out of a corny romance live action film.

"Wait! Himari! Are you alright?" Tomoe asked, heavily concerned. "Do you have a fever or something?" She scooped Himari up in her arms and carried her to the kitchen.

Ran's face felt like it was on fire too, but she quickly slipped away to avoid any unnecessary awkwardness or tension. After all, she had not meaningly but still had eavesdropped on them.

"Oh, Ran! There you are. Good thing your house isn't too big. You see, I don’t know what happened, but Himari's forehead is burning up and she keeps muttering something I can't make out." Tomoe said as she urgently explained everything.

Ran looked at Himari, who was muttering "so hot... can't think straight..." At this moment Ran believed her life was nothing but a crazy crack filled story of 5 childhood friends, doing stupid things. Plus, they were all disaster lesbians.

"So, um, Tomoe. Did you hear what Himari said..?" asked Ran awkwardly.

"Yeah! She must be really burning up! She even said she feels hot, and the fever is so bad she can't think straight anymore! Do you think this is a sudden virus or something?" Tomoe asked, filled with genuine fear.

Ran thanked God for Tomoe's cluelessness and thought about the irony of life. 

Oh well, I don't want Tomoe to stress over Himari too much. Too much worrying never did anybody any good, Ran thought.

"Hey! Moca, Tsugumi, the heat really got to Himari. Could you guys go get a wet towel or something?" Ran asked.

Moca took one look at Tomoe princess carrying Himari and her attention snapped from the ice cream sundae she'd been eating to a new potential teasing target faster than the speed of light- at the speed of Moca.

"Fufufu, what did the great genius Moca-chan tell you?" Moca said as she held back a snicker. "Himari is just in omega gay denial," Moca continued, in a surprisingly serious tone. Seeing the look Ran gave her, she added again, more gravely than the first time, "It's the truth, you know."

Ran sighed and shook her head. "Whatever you say, Moca." Looking at Himari's overheating face, she said, "We have more important matters at hand."

At that moment Tsugumi came running up to them with a clean washcloth neatly folded into a rectangle. "I have a wet compress, and I made sure the water was cold as well," she reported to Ran. "Are you sure Himari is going to be okay?" Tsugumi asked anxiously, peeking at Himari who was still muttering the same things over and over. 

"Yep, I think so," Ran replied. "Tomoe," she said.

"Yeah? I got it Ran, just tell me what to do, and it's done! Oh, Himari! Wake up, would'ya?" Tomoe said with very visible concern.

"Alright then. Just put Himari on that couch over there so she can lie down. She's not that tall so I think she'll be able to lie down comfortably," Ran ordered.

"Gotcha!" Tomoe said as she walked over to the couch. Very carefully, straining her arm muscles but not caring about herself currently, she slowly set Himari down on the couch as gently as possible. 

"Look at the prince tending to her princess," Moca snickered.

Tsugumi handed the compress to Tomoe, and she slowly laid it on top of Himari's forehead. She sat on her knees next to Himari so her head wasn't as high above anymore. Now that Himari looked like she was doing better, Tomoe asked Ran, "What do you think happened to her?"

By now, Moca, all interest in her ice cream gone, came over to the rest of the group. "The genius Moca-chan can tell you right away! It’s a really bad case of..."

The silence made the air in the room thicker, to the point where everyone was holding in their breaths. Nobody breathed or moved at all, and the tension was so thick you could cut it with a butter knife.

"Of?" Tomoe dared to ask, not wanting to wait anymore.

"It's the worst case of mega lesbianism and gayness combined that I have ever seen! The yuri is literally blooming! I can see the white lilies popping up between you and Hii-chan!" Moca said dramatically.

Dead silence.

"Moca... if you start acting like Seta-san, I will take away all your bread until the day we part." Ran said, completely serious.

But this direct information was like an egg shell dropping from the roof of the school to the courtyard below to Tomoe.

"Ran-chan~... I forgot to tell you, but Tomo-chin might not take this news especially well. But it is my job and duty as a doctor to inform you of the diagnosis, no matter how serious." Moca said, with a smug smile on her face.

Tomoe's face had a wide blush on it, and it was more noticeable than before. "U-uh.. what do you mean Moca? I don't like Himari.. I mean.." she made a helpless gesture with her hands.

"Fufu... then I'll help you understand, Tomo-chin..." Moca said.

"Do you like Himari?" Moca asked.

"Of course!" Tomoe replied without a second thought.

Moca raised an eyebrow and a smug smile was beginning to emerge on her face.

"I- I mean as a friend, of course," Tomoe added, her face a bit more red now.

"If you say so, ~," Moca said in a singsong voice. "Do you care for her?"

"Um, why are you asking me these questions, Moca? Of course you know that I care about her! I don't know what I'll ever do if she gets hurt or sick."

"Okay. Don’t worry, I only have a couple more questions left~," Moca said. "But just how much do you exactly care for her?" Moca's voice got more serious. "Is she just another friend of yours... is that all? Just another friend..." Moca said sadly.

“W-what? No! Himari’s way more than ‘just another friend’! I mean, I care for all of you guys, but Himari’s special, you know?” Tomoe said, caught off guard by Moca. 

“Oh really? Care describing, because you don’t sound so sure. I don’t exact-” Moca knew she was going a bit far, but she also knew it was for the best.

Tomoe angrily cut her off, getting fired up. She was really defensive of her friends and friendships. “Look, Moca. I would do anything for Himari! If she wanted the moon, I would get it for her! I already spoil her as much as I can, but I don’t want it to be too obvious that I only do that for her-...” too late. The full extent of what Tomoe said had already reached everyone’s shocked ears. She tried to recover and a smug look from Moca only propelled her on. 

“You say that, but would you really go to the ends of the Earth with her if she wanted that~?” Moca pegged her on.

“Of course! Himari means the world to me and, to be honest, I wouldn’t mind- no, I want to spend the rest of my life with her! She’s always so kind and caring, sort of like a mom. Y’know, whenever I think of Himari, she just reminds me of home for some reason. Her hair in her little pigtails are also really cute, and whenever she pouts when she doesn’t get what she wants is also sorta cute.. It makes me want to support her.” Tomoe blushed a deep shade of red when she realized what she said. 

But with all the thoughts running through Tomoe’s mind right now, the one that stood out was that when she was talking to everyone about Himari, it made her feel really good. Happy and light, like she got rid of a weight on her shoulder.

It had started a while back. Tomoe always knew that Himari admired her and Seta-san, and she thought it was nice that Himari thought she was cool. 

Sometimes when she was drumming, she would catch Himari staring at her, but… she just couldn’t quite put her finger on it. It was normal for people to look at her while she drummed, and she didn’t blame them. After all, drumming is cool, and when she was younger, she’d always stare at drummers on TV and think to herself how cool they were. But the way Himari looked at her was different, something more than simple admiration.

And what was that nagging feeling she got, the way she felt a bit irritated whenever Himari would go off about Kaoru. It wasn’t like her to get mad or even remotely bothered about who someone liked- she didn’t care much for that stuff and it was none of her business, anyways.

But her feelings had changed bit by bit, very subtly. The truth was Himari cried quite often, and Tomoe never thought twice about putting a comforting arm around her or an occasional hug to reassure her. 

But one time when she hugged Himari because of a snide comment from another girl about her weight, she didn’t want to let go. Himari was so soft and caring and happy all the time. Her famous “hey, hey hoh!” was a perfect example of her energy and how she always did her best. At that moment, Tomoe just wanted to keep hugging Himari and never let go, ever. But she eventually had to.

After that, Tomoe had stuffed that thought to the back of her mind. She never fully understood what she was feeling. But that sudden confession that Moca tricked her into saying…

She finally understood. Tomoe wasn’t the type of person to hide and deny things. She accepted things quite quickly, since she hated to make an unnecessary fuss and create problems that could be prevented. 

Why would I go hide the truth? Tomoe thought. The other part of her brain, the one that was fizzing and short-circuiting and just spazzing out in general told her, “Because you just realized that you’ve fallen deep in love, head over freaking heels, for one of your childhood friends who also happens to be a girl!”

Tomoe snapped out of her thoughts once she noticed that everyone was staring at her. Moca looked at her expectantly, Tsugumi looked concerned, and Ran just didn’t really know what to make of the situation.

“Um, guys? I sorta realized something just now,” Tomoe awkwardly confessed.  
“I may or may not fallen in love with Himari. For a long time. Not just, you know…” she scratched the back of her neck off-handedly. 

The tension in the air was back, but Moca broke it as quickly as it started. “I knew it~! Seriously, only you two were oblivious to the fact you both had huge crushes on each other!” Moca lazily pumped her fist in the air. “Called it~,” she finished and looked over at Himari.

“W-well, I sort of expected something like this,” said Tsugumi honestly. “I’m really happy for you, though. Falling in love is a bittersweet experience, but if that love is requited,” she smiled. “Then it’ll be one of the best things that ever happened to you.”  
“Y-yeah. Something along the lines of that, right?” Tomoe asked with a wide dopey grin on her face. That nagging feeling was gone, and she felt as if her mind was clearer than the cleanest panel of glass in the world. “Wait. How am I supposed to know what Himari feels?” Tomoe asked again, her relief turning into worry.

“Isn’t it obvious?” answered Ran, speaking for the first time since Tomoe’s sudden confession. “Just ask her once she wakes up,” she said as if it was the simplest thing in the world.

“Just ask her? Ran, I don’t think you know how it is to go up to the person you have a massive crush on and just ask her if she loves you back,” Tomoe responded.

Ran simply stayed still. Tomoe sighed. She knew she just had to muster up the courage and do it. Nothing to it but to do it, she thought. She clenched her fists and bit her lip, then crouched down next to Himari. Readjusting the towel across her forehead, she awkwardly but caringly put a hand against Himari’s cheek.

When Himari first woke up from her daze, there were two things she noticed. First, it was super hot and she wouldn’t mind an ice cream at all. Secondly, a very beautiful and concerned face was only inches away from hers.

A mix of a squeal and yell erupted from Himari’s mouth. “Hagsaflat-w-what?! T-t-tomoe?? What happened? Why am I here? Wh-why is your face so close to mine?” her voice dialed down in tone.

Hey, this is really nice, Himari thought. I faint, but then I wake up to see Tomoe watching over me. Her eyes are still so firey and passion-filled even when she’s concerned…

“Erm, hi Himari,” said Tomoe. You idiot that’s the first thing you say to her?! The voice in her mind scolded. “Um, you sort of passed out from the heat or something. Also, could I ask you something?”

“What is it, Tomoe?” Himari’s embarrassment and confusion battled against the rising curiosity, and in the end she just wanted to know what Tomoe was thinking.

“Well…” Tomoe felt like punching a wall. She just didn’t know what to say! Since she usually was never tongue-tied like this before, it was a completely new and unwelcome experience.  
After fighting with herself for a good 10 seconds, Himari finally broke the silence. “Tomoe? Are you ok-”

To be honest, confessions darned, I love you so much Himari! I love you to the ends of the earth, I always have, and I always will. And right now, I’m just so glad you’re okay.” Tomoe blurted out. The red-haired drummer suddenly leaned forward and wrapped up Himari in a giant bear hug.

“W-what?” That was all Himari could muster. Her face was already on fire but something about her made her look stronger than ever.

“I-I’m so sorry if that was sudden but I can’t deny the truth, Himari. The thing is, I’ve been watching you and loving you for so long. I- I get jealous when you go off about Kaoru and some nights, I lie down and stare at the ceiling because I can’t sleep. The only thing I wanted those nights were you cuddled up against me- you, Himari, who’s always so kind and funny and accepting. Your ‘hey, hey hoh!’ also pumps me up and fills me with energy whenever I hear you say it, and-,” Tomoe stopped, a lump in her throat making it impossible to say anymore.

Rare tears welled up in Tomoe’s eyes, threatening to spill out all over Himari’s shirt. “I’m sorry if you think I’m weird and- and I know this’ll change us. Things won’t be the same as always because of my stupid mouth and feelings,” Tomoe said bitterly between clenched teeth, trying to stop herself from crying.

Ran, Moca, and Tsugumi all wanted to help console Tomoe and smack her in the face for thinking that her own feelings didn’t matter, but they decided that Himari would be the better choice.

“No. Stop it Tomoe! It’s okay, because… I- I love you too. You’re so cool and caring, and I always thought of you as that amazing big sister I never had. I kept telling myself that, and um,” she looked over to Moca quickly, her voice turning into a whisper. “I… might have been a bit scared and angry at the idea that I… liked girls romantically. So I lied to myself and hid away my true feelings,” Himari confessed. Burying her face into Tomoe’s shoulder, she continued with tears in her eyes as well. “I was scared that if you figured out I liked you in… that way, then you wouldn’t like me anymore. T-that you would stay away from me,” Himari sobbed. “Y-you don’t know how happy and relieved I am right now,” Himari said louder than she meant to. “So,” she started to say, while pulling back to look straight in Tomoe’s watery eyes with her own, “I don’t want to hear that your feelings are stupid ever again,” she finished as sternly as she could with a trembling voice.

“B-because if you really did ignore your feelings, then… I wouldn’ve never known that you loved me back,” Himari said softly.

Tsugumi had tears in her eyes, and even Ran had a small smile on her face. 

As Tomoe and Himari rested against each other in their tight embrace, Tomoe thought, Himari smells so nice. Like buttercups and watermelon. I wish we could stay like this forever.

As if Himari read Tomoe’s mind, she responded softly, “I promise, Tomoe, that we’ll cuddle and hug as much as you want for the rest of our lives.”

Moca was staying a bit back, whispering “Kiss, kiss, kiss~,” in a silent cheer.

Turquoise eyes met green ones, and as if drawn together by their love and a promise to stay together forever, with a new same as always, their lips silently met. Even though it was only a second, it felt like an eternity of pure happiness as the world melted away. It was just them now. Until Tomoe pulled her face away and looked off to the side, blushing furiously. And then, Himari realized that they weren’t alone because a certain smug-faced devil had witnessed them kiss.

Tomoe and Himari’s eyes met each other again, and they nodded. As their lips connected, it was like their souls connected as well. They understood what needed to be done.

“Ran? Are you still in on the plan of stealing all of Moca’s bread?” they asked together.

“Hrm? Oh, definitely yes. There’s quite a few embarrassing moments that I need to get back at Moca for,” Ran said with the lightest trace of a smirk on her face.

“Oh no~ Ran-chan, Tomo-chin and Hii-chan are going to blackmail me from my bread~,” Moca said in pretend distress. “What will I ever do~?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for reading all the way through  
> believe it or not this was meant to be a crackfic~


	3. Someone who's always got your back (Tomoe/Sayo) pt. 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The past always comes to bite Sayo when she thinks it's over. Her spirits shattered, a certain fiery red-haired drummer comforts her, teaching her that there's always a person out there who loves everything you hate about yourself.

"Sayo-san?" asked Yukina with a scowl on her face. "If you can't concentrate during practice, then I suggest again that you go home."

"Yukina..." Lisa tried to stop a potential argument before it turned into something worse. But Yukina didn't even bother to look at her unsually worried face while she responded: "This is the fourth time that Hikawa-san has lost tempo. If she suddenly acts like an ametuar guitarist who has just started playing, then she will be nothing but a hindrance to us."  
Lisa bit her lip, sighing. It was true, but it was also very unlike Sayo who was skillful at her instrument and one of the best guitarists around. She had to be good- why else would she be in Roselia?  
Lisa looked over at Sayo, and swallowed a growing lump in her throat. Something was definitely wrong. Sayo didn't even insist that she was fine, she just stood there with her head slightly bowed. "I-I'm deeply sorry, Minato-san. Perhaps you are right, I shall leave early now, if you'll excuse me," Sayo apologized thickly and put her guitar away in its case, swinging it over her shoulder and turning toward the door. As she started to turn the handle and leave, Lisa put down her bass and quickly walked toward her. 

"Oh! Um, Yukina, I'm gonna go talk to Sayo realy quick, okay? I mean, the sooner we figure out what's wrong, then the sooner we can all go back to practicing together, right~?" Lisa explained with a forced smile.

"... Go ahead." was Yukina's monotone reply.

"Thanks!" Lisa turned around only to find that Sayo had already walked out. She opened the door and walked out, looking for any signs of the blue-haired guitarist. "Sayo?" Lisa called out softly. After looking around the entire live house with no luck, she clicked open her phone to message her instead.

Lisa: Sayo, if anything's ever wrong, remember that I'm here for you :3

Lisa sighed. Knowing Sayo, she probably wouldn't respond until this was all over, so she just stuffed her phone back into her pocket and walked back to the rehearsal room. "Huh?" Lisa asked to nobody in particular. Everyone was already packing up and putting their instruments away. "Ako, did practice end early or something?" she asked.

"Oh, Lisa-nee. You see, I couldn't really focus because of everything that happened, and most of our songs' instrumentals rely on guitar to accent Yukina's voice and the lyrics, so Yukina-san just called the whole thing off. She looked a bit worried though.." Ako replied, unusually downcast.

"So that's what happened, I see. Well, I guess it couldn't be helped, huh... That aside, do you want to go for some crepes~?" Lisa offered, trying to lighten things up.

"Oh su-" Ako thought back to Sayo's face. She didn't know much, but it looked like Sayo was hurting inside. "Um, thanks for offering, but I got something else to do." Ako responded.

Lisa looked at Ako curiously. Normally Ako would be the one begging Lisa to go get crepes after practice, but she decided it probably wasn't anything big. After all, I've got a bunch of tests to study for, Lisa thought. "Oh, okay then! But remember, if you ever have a problem, you know who to call!" 

"Yep, I can always count on you Lisa-nee!" Ako smiled.

"Fufu, glad to hear it~," Lisa waved. "See you later, then?"

"Yeah," Ako said, saying goodbye to Lisa. Right after she packed up her drums, she stuck her drumsticks in her bag and ran out the studio. Ako wandered around town for a while, looking at the sunset. "I guess Sayo wasn't anywhere after all..." Ako mumbled gloomly.

"I wasn't where?" came that stern voice.

"Ah! Sayo, you scared me!" Ako jumped back to find Sayo sitting down on a bench near the park and shopping district. 

Sayo raised an eyebrow expectantly. "And, Udagawa-san, why were you looking for me?"

Ako froze. "U-um," you big dummy! Ako thought to herself. You decline Lisa-nee's offer to go get delicious crepes to go find Sayo, and now that you finally found her, you have no idea what to say? "W-well," Ako fumbled with her words.

Much to her suprise, Sayo smiled. "Here, why don't you take a seat?" she offered, moving aside and looking at the other side of the empty bench.

"Okay! Thanks, Sayo-san." Ako sat down, head feeling a bit clearer now that she knew Sayo wasn't mad at her. "You see, at rehearsal..." she started.

An angry scowl sent her way made Ako think about just leaving Sayo alone, but she hated the idea of Sayo hurting by herself even more. "You looked really hurt and sad, like something was bothering you but I don't know what and nobody was doing anything about it so I just wanted to make sure you're okay-" Ako blurted out.

Sayo sighed and replied wearily, "Thank you for your concern, but I don't think you'll be able to do anything about it. It is my problem after all."

"At least give me a chance!" begged Ako. "Tomoe is really good at solving my problems, so maybe I got some of her powers too!"

Sayo bit her lip, looking at Ako. Finally, she relented. "Okay, but I doubt you'd understand."

"Oh-wow! Okay, thanks so much Sayo-san!! The almighty Demon Princess Ako is here to help!" Ako eagerly said.

"Okay, I'll tell you the situation best I can," Sayo replied, a ghost of a smile touching her lips.

"You're probably aware of how my sister, Hina, was always better than me at everything without even trying that hard. She was a genuis, and I was just myself. While I would slave away at everything by myself, working hard as I could and pushing myself to show my parents that, even I, the normal sister, could be the best at something too, Hina just ran around doing whatever she wanted and somehow still be better than me at everything. I was quiet and didn't like interacting with people, while she was friendly and outgoing. I was serious and actually wanted to succeed in what I was doing, but she was so childish, doing whatever she thought was 'boppin'." Sayo stopped, her voice cracking a bit.

"Sayo-san, are you alright?" Ako asked worriedly.

"I-I'm okay, Udagawa-san." Even though it hurt a bit, re-telling the story that caused those aches in her chest felt relieving, in a way, as if heavy baggage had been lifted from Sayo's shoulders. Continuing, Sayo explained, "There was the mid-term tests two weeks ago, and I had stayed up night after night studying for them, and I managed to score 90% or higher on most of my tests, except one which was a lower score than I usually got. I showed them to my parents, and- I was such a fool, it was almost like I hadn't learnt anything at all. H-Hina, not having studied at all, got straight 100s, best in her class. Even though it hurt, it was to be expected. After all, she was the wonderful genius. But then, I overheard my mother and father talking."

Sayo clenched her fists, the memories of what she heard that night and her demons crashing into her thoughts. Ako looked at her, innocent concern in her eyes. As much as Sayo wanted to belt out her struggles at the unfair world, she kept it in. It wouldonly cause more guilt and pain in the future if she did so. "T-they were discussing if I should s-spend less time with Roselia and focus more on my studies. I could hear it, I KNOW it! Hina, of course, could continue being that shining idol but I should have to stop? They think that I should stop because I'll never amount to anyone perfessional, that I'm just a mere highschool girl playing guitar with her friends after school instead of focusing on what's 'important'," Sayo said between clenched teeth, and as much as she tried to keep it hidden, loathing at both her family and herself dripped from her words.

Ako was speechless. She thought she would be able to help, but what could she say? Even she knew that sugar-coated sweet words to comfort Sayo would only lead to more pain in the future. She had no advice- she had never experienced this struggle, her relationship was Tomoe was- wait, Tomoe!

"Sayo-san... Ako leaned over and hugged her. "You were right, I can't do anything to help you," she mumbled dejectedly into Sayo's shoulder.

Taken aback, Sayo replied, "it's okay, I didn't expe-"

Ako pulled back from the hug, bouncing up and down on the bench. "But I know who can, my awesome super duper cool big sis Tomoe!" she exclaimed with the biggest smile on her face.

"T-tomoe?" Sayo spluttered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for all the requests! I feel so guilty and I want to finish all of them as quick as I can for you guys to read it, so Chapter 2 will come out today as well (and that's the last chapter for this mini-story) before I do the next comment request!


	4. Someone who's always got your back (pt.2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A certain red-haired drummer steps in and helps carry Sayo's burden of crushing guiltiness, making sure she understands that someone's got her back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so so sorry for publishing this one late! I was tiering for the event Summer, Slow Summer on ENdori last night.

"Yep! Tomoe!" replied Ako, nodding her head up and down, then tilted it in confusion. "Wait, Sayo-san... you don't know who my sister is?" she asked.

Sayo shook her head. "No... I do, but-"

"Then that's great! I'm pretty sure there's no one who doesn't know who big sis is! So don't worry Sayo-san, Tomoe can help you," Ako cut her off excitedly. *Ping* "Hm?" Ako pulled out her phone and her excited face slowly turned into a worried one.

"Is there something wrong?" Sayo asked, sensing the change in Ako's mood.

"No, not really," Ako replied. "Nothing you need to worry about! Big sis is telling me to come home already because it's getting late and my dinner's getting cold. That's it."

"Then go." Sayo said simply. Seeing the other girl starting to protest, she insisted. "You don't need to create your own problems for the sake of my problems. Besides, you don't want your sister to be upset at you, either."

"Oh," Ako said crestfallen. "That makes some sense though." Sayo forced a smile on her face to reassure the purple-haired drummer that she was fine.

"Just go," Sayo said again, a bit more forcefully than she meant to, but that helped get her point across. Nobody wanted to get Sayo angry. Ako nodded quickly and stood up, straightening her skirt and slinging her bag over her shoulder. She waved and said goodbye, thanking Sayo while running off.

"Remember, meet Tomoe at this park tomorrow after school, okay?" Ako shouted as she ran towards home.

"W-wait!" Sayo managed to say, but Ako had just turned around the block and was out of sight. Sayo groaned, forsaking manners and proper posture for once as she slunk down on the bench. Tomoe Udagawa? She had talked to the passionate drummer only a couple times before, and each of them hadn't been friendly exchanges. Before this whole ordeal with Ako and her parents, she had disliked Tomoe's easygoing manner. The fact that Afterglow was created not for the sake of music, but for the sake of friendship, already struck Sayo's nerves. But now, she had changed. Maybe she still wasn't a fan of Afterglow, but the more she thought about it, she realized that Tomoe had done nothing wrong.

In fact, she sort of admired Tomoe's protectiveness of her friends, how she cared for them all so much. As Sayo thought about that, she felt a strange sensation in her chest. "Hm, it appears that my chest is tightening? Hurting?" Sayo observed out loud. "How peculiar." And all this talk about that red-haired drummer as well- when did Sayo's thoughts become so occupied by someone who rarely even showed up in her life? Shaking her head and noticing dusk approaching, Sayo stood up from the bench and started the walk home.

That night, Sayo lied in bed, questioning her thoughts. How come instead of sleeping, all she could think of was Tomoe? The one time Roselia and Afterglow reluctantly held a joint venue, she found herself entranced by Tomoe's confident grin as she pounded away on the drums, sweat flying from her vibrant hair-  
Wait. What was she even thinking? Sayo felt her face reddening. But along with all these thoughts, darker ones emerged, ones that added to that crushing guilt that she already had to carry on her shoulders. 

"How would you understand anything, Udagawa-san?" Sayo had angrily said. "Did you ever consider even thinking before rushing off and doing whatever your hot-headed self feels like doing? Defending your friends is grand and all, but half the time you don't even think, only rush forward like a fool!" 

As Tomoe heard those words, her usual friendly face had tightened as she unusually looked down on the floor, not saying a word. That only made Sayo angrier. Why wouldn't she retaliate, even though she was just insulted? Why would she just stand there, looking down as if she'd just been slapped on the face by someone she loved?

The weight of her words seemingly echoed around the room. Sayo balled her hands into fists as the memories of the argument she had with Afterglow a while before came rushing back into her head. How she was the one who was hot-headed and angry, how she had so easily spat those cruel words at Tomoe, who had done nothing wrong and was simply defending her friends. 

How would she meet Tomoe tomorrow? "Perhaps it is my punishment, what I deserve," Sayo whispered in a monotone to the shadows. Would Tomoe be angry? Annoyed? Purposely give her bad advice while acting nice? Even though she was lying down, Sayo felt as if she was supporting the weight of the world at that moment.

Sunlight streaked through the curtains and glared into Sayo's half closed eyes. As much as Sayo wanted to stay in bed and mope, she would be long dead before that happened. Getting up and going through her usual routine had never felt so long, and when she arrived at school it took every ounce of her will to act like everything was normal. During her lunch break, Sayo decided to end the constant war her brain was fighting. 

Why do you even care so much about what Udagawa-san thinks of you? You've only talked to her a few times, and her opinion of you does not matter at all. But she's Ako's sister... Sayo shook her head and tried to clear her thoughts once more. No excuses, she told herself firmly. How Tomoe-san acts towards you this afternoon is what you deserve, and you shouldn't think too much of it.

Sitting through her last class felt excruciatingly painful, each tick of the clock cutting through her mind. As soon as the last bell rang, Sayo slung her bag over her shoulder and left the campus as quickly as she could without gathering attention. Breathing in the warm afternoon air, she steeled her nerves for whatever would come next as she walked toward the park.

When she got there, she stood by the bench next to the fountain in the middle of the park. Greeted by chirping birds and the occasional person taking a walk, she looked around for any signs of Tomoe.

Red hair... she thought. Not much people have red hair, so I will just keep an eye out for that. Suddenly, she felt a bag chafe into her arm. 

"Oh, Hikawa-san! Didn't see you there, my bad!" a familiar voice said.

It took everything Sayo had to prevent herself from jumping back in surprise. Instead, she took a deep breath and kept her composure, turning around.

The sunlight glinted off her dark red hair as she stood tall and proud, that same as always confident and easy going smile on her face. "Hikawa-san! Sorry for popping up all of a sudden, but I thought Ako had already told you that I was going to meet you here? Y'know, about a problem." Her voice became gentler as she said the last sentence. 

"N-No," Sayo stammered. She mentally slapped herself- she was not the type of person who fumbled with her words. "It is fine, your sister did tell me about it. She didn't exactly wait for a reply, though." The last part slipped out of Sayo's mouth without her meaning to say it. She desperately wished if she could stuff the words back in her mouth.

"Aha, it's okay if you don't want to talk to me," Tomoe said awkwardly. "You never really seemed to like me that much," she said more to herself as she looked off to the distance.

No no no no, Sayo thought quickly. This is all wrong. Why was Tomoe acting dejected when she should be angry at Sayo? She had to say something, but what? For perhaps the first time in her life, Sayo said what her heart wanted to say instead of her head. "No, it's okay. I want to talk to you!" Sayo blurted out before realizing what she had just done. Her cheeks flushed, but Tomoe instantly looked at her with the happiest grin Sayo had seen in her life. 

"Really? I'm really glad to hear that. Erm, instead of just standing here, why don't we take a seat first?" Tomoe offered, pointing at the bench. 

"Of course." Sayo and Tomoe sat down next to each other. While Tomoe stretched out her arms and shifted into a more comfortable position, Sayo felt strangely self-conscious and nervous. Her heart was beating unusually fast and her palms were sweaty.

A billion thoughts ran through Sayo's mind at once. Why wasn't Tomoe upset at her? Why was she acting so kind and friendly to Sayo, who always had a scowl on her face and rarely smiled? Who had insulted her?

Sayo looked at Tomoe's beaming face, and thought: if it's for this girl next to me, it's okay if I swallow my pride once, right? Sayo took a deep breath to calm herself and started at her feet, prepping herself to do something she seldom did.

"Is something wrong?" Tomoe asked, in a soft and caring tone. Even while looking down, Sayo could see the genuine concern in Tomoe's face, but that only made the already crushing guilt even harder to bear to the point where she just couldn't take it anymore.

"I-I'm really sorry. I know what I did was... very-" Sayo choked on her words, but she had already started. Why not finish? "Cruel... I wouldn't be surprised if you hate me." Sayo forced out bitterly, and for some reason she felt extra water in her eyes. 

"Whoa, hold on!" Tomoe exclaimed. "What are you saying sorry for? You never did anything cruel in your life! Maybe you're a bit strict, but cruel?"

As memories of all the times she had blamed Hina for her problems, the times she had snapped at Ako for bringing up her cool big sister, and that time she had said those things to Tomoe and Afterglow all flooded back, the emotional barrier that Sayo had created to seal them away in the depths of her mind crumbled into pieces, and she felt herself crying for the first time she could remember since grade school. 

Tomoe moved over on the bench so she was right next to Sayo, their legs touching. Wrapping her in a caring embrace, Tomoe held Sayo tightly, trying to pour as much love as she could into that hug. Sayo had many people that cared for her, but she never truly let any of that love reach her heart. If it was believing she didn't deserve it or if she was too scared to let others into her heart, it didn't matter: Tomoe would break past that barrier. Tomoe slowly patted her back as Sayo tried to hold back her stream of sudden tears. 

"It's okay," Tomoe whispered warmly into her ear. "Crying is good for you, y'know. One of my friends, Himari, always cries, but I think that's part of the reason she's really upbeat and happy. As for you, don't worry, I'll stay right here. Just remember that if you ever need a shoulder to cry on, I'm here for you. It's all alright," Tomoe softly said as she tried to comfort Sayo.

Sayo expected herself to be embarrassed, but she wasn't. Instead, she was... extremely happy. She hadn't been hugged in so long, and the feeling of another breathing person pressing themself against you while holding you tight had to be one of the best feelings in the world, thought Sayo. Tomoe's arms were strong and soft at the same time, her heartbeat steady. Sayo found herself pressing her face into Tomoe's shoulder as she cried out all the pent-up tears she had been stuffing away. Right now, in Tomoe's arms, Sayo felt safe, like nothing could hurt her. Because Tomoe was here, and she wouldn't let anything or anyone hurt Sayo.

As if reading her mind, Tomoe reassured Sayo kindly, "Just relax. You look like you've had quite a bit of emotional baggage, huh? It's fine, because I'll help you carry it and then we'll chuck it out into space where it can't bother you ever again. And, erm, we haven't talked that much, but I think we can agree that we're friends now? Maybe?"

Nodding slightly, Sayo thought: I've let Tomoe hug me and I'm already crying, so perhaps... Sayo never really had that much friends, ever. She found it harder than others to trust people, but Sayo's heart told her that Tomoe would be a loyal friend and someone who'd always support her. "F-friends?" Sayo asked uncertainly.

"Yeah, friends," Tomoe replied happily. 

There wasn't much people in the park, but Tomoe wouldn't have cared and the only thing on Sayo's mind right now was Tomoe. Tomoe continued patting Sayo's back and occasionally stroking her hair. "Y'know, Ako would always tell me how cool you were after she came home from rehearsals. She said you were a bit strict, but you were really passionate about guitar and Roselia. I know you wouldn't do anything with ill intentions."

Sayo pulled her head up and rested her chin on Tomoe's shoulder. "Even though I insulted your band, your friends, and yourself, you're still acting so kind and caring to a person like myself. Why?" she asked, before a fresh round of tears came leaking out.

"Hm? What do you mean... oh.". 

Sayo felt her heart clench anxiously, only to let out a huge sigh of relief. "You mean that tussle? That was ages ago, Sayo! I didn't take you as the type of person who stays stuck in the past!" Tomoe said, laughing. "And did you really take me as the person who holds grudges over silly fights?" she asked, jokingly pretending to be hurt.

"Oh." It was Sayo's turn to be shocked. "I- Why are you so nice to me all the time though?" she quietly asked.

"Because, from the first time I saw you, I knew you were someone special. And... I had the feeling you were hurting all alone, and you didn't let anyone help you carry your burdens. But still, you're one of the best guitarists I know! When you released your new song, Neo-Aspect, I kept on replaying your solo again and again," Tomoe explained, lightly blushing a bit. 

Sayo was also feeling a bit flustered- Roselia was a band held to impeccably high standards, and they were praised all the time. But how come this time, Sayo really felt good when Tomoe said that?

"A-And, I sorta snuck to each of your lives to see you perform. Don't worry about your guitar skills, and don't beat yourself up over who's better, you or your sister."

Seeing Sayo's shocked face, Tomoe explained, "I sorta guessed about what happened with Hina, since she's an idol and all that. She sort of has an open mouth and says a lot of things other people wouldn't on TV that's being broadcast to the entire country. Plus, you're in the same band as my younger sister who loves to tell me everything..." 

Even at the mention of Hina, Sayo felt relaxed while Tomoe was holding her, because it felt like someone else was with her to help her stand up. Four legs and double the strength. 

Tomoe continued, "Even though your sister is amazing, you shine too, Sayo-sa-, I mean Hikawa-san," Tomoe quickly fixed her blunder, but Sayo held a hand up. 

"No-it's fine. Didn't you say we were friends, after all?" 

Visibly relaxing more, Tomoe kept talking. "Oh, yeah! I sorta forgot about that... my bad! But anyways, Sayo-san, don't compare yourself to others! If you want to improve, the only person you should compare yourself to is the you from yesterday. If I compared myself to other drummers, then I probably wouldn't even be in Afterglow. I started drumming because it's fun, but also because I get this proud feeling of accomplishment when I realize that I've improved my drumming skills."

"A proud feeling of accomplishment when I realize that I've improved..." Sayo whispered.

Tomoe tried to move to a more comfortable position. "Um, my back's a bit sore..." she pointed out. "We can hug and maybe cuddle all you want later, but we're sort of on a bench without a back in the middle of a park right now," Tomoe said awkwardly.

Now Sayo's entire face was on fire with the mentions of more hugs and perhaps... cuddles."It's alright. I don't want to cause you back pain." What Sayo wanted to say, but didn't say out of embarrassment, she had a feeling Tomoe already knew. 

Instead, Tomoe stretched and put an arm around Sayo's shoulder, pulling her close as they continued talking. "I used to have that feeling too, but it got replaced by dissatisfaction because I would start thinking that I improved, but it was not enough. It was never enough." Sayo said bitterly. "But," she added in a lighter tone, "I suppose it wouldn't hurt to start thinking in another way. Even if it might be hard."

"Yeah. Just try to talk to Hina more, improve your relationship with her. You don't have to go hang out with her or go shopping together- just practice guitar or listen to how her day went. You guys don't have to be all buddy-buddy, but it would be good if there were less tension between you guys," Tomoe explained. "Also... about the thing concerning your parents, just ignore them. You definitely will become a legendary guitarist someday."

Sayo nodded, mentally noting everything she heard down and leaning a bit closer into Tomoe's side to show her thanks and appreciation."Udagaw-" she stopped- they were friends after all right? she told herself. "T-Tomoe-san, Ako-san did say you were good at solving problems. Thank you for all the advice." And hugs, she noted to herself, as well as letting me cry on your shoulder, looking at the dark stain spread over Tomoe's left shoulder.

Tomoe smoothed down her hair, looking away slightly. "D-don't mention it. It was nothing, really. But Sayo-san." She shifted around, putting both of her hands on top of Sayo's shoulders. She pressed her forehead against Sayo's lovingly, her grin only widening at Sayo's flustered face. She's so cute, thought Tomoe.

"Remember, if anything ever happens, just know that you're not alone. I've always got your back, and if you ever need a shoulder to cry on, I'm here for you." Tomoe warmly said, trying to put all her emotions for the teal-haired guitarist into those words. 

Tomoe moved one hand from Sayo's shoulder to brush her stray bangs away, planting a light kiss on her forehead. 

"T-Tomoe?!" Sayo spluttered, so surprised she even forgot to use honorifics.

Tomoe snuck a quick look at her rapidly reddening face before turning away to hide her own in embarrassment. 

But what they didn't see, however, was a certain smug-faced, bread-loving gremlin hiding in the bushes with her phone out. "Ooh~ I wonder how Hii-chan will react when she finds out Tomo-chin has a girlfriend already~," she said in her signature drawl. Hiding a snicker, Moca left the park to go to Yamabuki bakery, scrolling through all the photos she had taken.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes I feel like weeping in a corner when I think of everything I have to write, but when I actually finish it I feel proud. My schedule got set back a day, and I apologize if some of your requests get done a bit late- I have an entire list of stories I want to write in here. Also, requests sorta stress me out because I feel like it has to be really good since it's not for me. Thanks for reading!


	5. Tsugumi, I'm okay~ Put the knife down please

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After everyone in Afterglow except Ran suspect Mashiro of doing "indecent" things to her girlfriend, Tsugumi, she starts crying. That's when Tsugumi knocks down the door with a cake-cutting knife to defend her girlfriend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the late chapter post it's 9:45 at night right now where I live but hey, it's still today so daily updates for the winnn

Afterglow had just finished their usual weekend morning rehearsal. "Hey, how about we go shopping?" suggested Tomoe. "There's still lots of time. Plus, we could go visit that new music shop as well!"

Ran nodded her head. "I suppose..." she reluctantly answered, knowing that the others would probably drag her along anyways if she refused.

Himari and Moca both agreed, since they claimed their chocolate and bun stash was running low. 

"Hm?" Noticing that Tsugumi hadn't said anything, Himari spoke up. "Tsugu-chan, you're not going?" asked Himari. "Normally you would be the first say yes," she observed.

Everyone looked at Tsugumi, who didn't look so well. Her face was unusually red and she kept shifting from foot to foot. "Tsugu?" asked Himari again.

"I would love to go, but... er, you see," Tsugumi started. "... Mashiro... yesterday night... sleepover...did... something..." she mumbled.

Maybe it was because they were highschoolers, or Moca's dirty jokes had started to rub off them, but everyone except Ran had some... obscene thoughts running through their minds.

Ran tilted her head slightly. "Tsugumi, you already told us that Mashiro's your girlfriend, so what's wrong? There's no need to be embarrassed." 

Everyone's attention shot to Ran. "Oh~ my dear Ran-chan~ is she really that innocent~?" Moca teased as walked over to Ran. Leaning in close to her face, she whispered, "I think not~".

This time, Ran's face reddened. "W-what? What is wrong with you guys? You can't be thinking... THAT happened, right?" she asked, shaking her head.

"What do you mean? That Mashiro... doing this to our poor Tsugu!" Tomoe muttered angrily, pacing back and forth, drums and shopping forgotten.

"No~ does this mean Tsugu isn't an innocent cinnamon bun anymore~?" Moca said, surprising everyone with a hint of genuine concern in her voice.

"We can't let Mashiro get away with this!! Everyone, you know what to do," Himari commanded, surprising everyone again with an unusually grim and commanding voice.

Tomoe looked at Moca. Moca nodded, looking at Himari. "Mashiro! There's no hiding from us, the Tsugu Protection Squad! We're coming for you!" They all said together, leaving their instruments behind as they stormed out the live house. 

Ran frantically tried to stop the persecution of an innocent marshmallow, but Tsugumi put a hand on her shoulder, whispering something in her ear. "Oh no, oh no," Ran said sighing. "Y'know, sometimes I think if Afterglow has their own san-baka trio."

Tsugumi nodded furiously, her fighting spirit burning and alive in her eyes. "Let's go and stop them before they hurt my precious girlfriend!" she exclaimed. 

"Yeah. You know how Tomoe can be when she believes someone did something bad to her friend," replied Ran.

Tsugumi nodded, sneezing into a tissue Ran gave to her. "Let's go!" she said, as they ran out the live house as well.

"Wow, just look at the youth and energy! I remember back when I was young as well," remarked Marina wistfully as see noticed all 5 members of Afterglow charging out the live house, each with burning intention.

"What's the plan?" Tomoe asked Himari while all three of them charged out into the street, looking for Mashiro.

Not even stopping and running faster than they ever had with the energy one has when they are seeking revenge for a loved one, Himari answered, "Well isn't it obvious? We hunt down that vile wench and figure out the details!" 

"Fufu, figure out the details~?" Moca asked Himari, whose face was rapidly reddening. 

"Moca! You know that's not what I meant," protested Himari.

They went past the downtown shopping district, past the park and subway stations. The sun was slowly lowering, and each of them breathed in heavily, feet aching. 

Himari sighed. "I guess it's just a wild goose chase. We might as well head back. Let's ask at the live house tomorrow. Maybe another girl has seen her."

Tomoe stopped right in her tracks, eyes wide open. "What?! No way, I'll keep searching for the girl that did that to poor Tsugu! Who cares if I get any sleep?" she shouted.

Moca tugged on Tomoe's sleeve. "Uh, Tomo-chin, I appreciate the resolve but haveya ever thought that she'd be in bed sleeping like normal people that late?" Moca pointed out. 

Nodding in agreement, Himari said, "Moca's got a point." 

"I guess so," Tomoe sighed as she resigned dejectedly. "Just sucks we couldn't do anything today."

"It's okay, cheer up Tomoe! Why don't we go get something from Yamabuki Bakery? They don't close for another hour," offered Himari, trying to cheer up Tomoe.

"Yea~ bread can make your frown turn upside down~," agreed Moca. 

As they walked into Yamabuki bakery, Saaya's father greeted them with a tired hello. "Hrm, Moca, you and Yamabuki-san seem well antiquated," observed Tomoe.

Hearing that, he chuckled heartedly. "This girl over here singlehandedly buys more goods than half our usual customers."

Tomoe and Himari exchanged worried glances at each other. "Whaaat~?" Moca asked, a pretend look of hurt on her face. "Just like Rimi-san, I've got a separate stomach for buns," Moca explained while grinning.

"Alright girls, why don't you order? You're the only people here besides her," he pointed out. "We're about to close soon." 

"Huh?" Tomoe asked, looking at the person he pointed at. It was a certain blue-haired vocalist... and Tsugumi's girlfriend. 

***one of my friends had to evacuate her house because of a fire near where I live, and she's living with me for a while, so I apologize for the late updates***

"M-Mashiro?!" Tomoe spluttered, her eyes ablaze. Storming forward and grabbing Mashiro's arm, she pulled her outside. "Thanks!" she called out behind her. "But I don't think I'll be ordering anything today since I already got what I came for."

"nani kore?" Saaya's father exclaimed. Seeing Moca's apologetic face and Himari's one of plea, he shook his head and sighed. "Alright, you guys do whatever, but don't hurt her. She's been sitting here for hours, looking really down." Noting no response, he asked "Hello?". It was pointless though, seeing that both of them had already rushed outside.

Tomoe yanked Mashiro into a dark alleyway, pinning her against the wall with one hand against the wall, trapping her. "Hey, why'd you that to to Tsugu? If you're her girlfriend, then you should care for her!" She narrowed her eyes. "Unless you're actually a phony fake whose mean inside. The point is, nobody messes with my friends, especially Tsugu the cinnamon bun. You got that?"

"W-I think w-we h-have a mi-..." Mashiro stuttered, confused and scared. Isn't Udagawa-san usually friendly and nice? she thought. But now, she looks like she'd beat me up.

Footsteps rang out as Moca and Himari came running in. "H-Help," Mashiro whispered hoarsely. 

"Hey! I bet that's what Tsugu thought last night when you-," Himari stopped herself, blushing again. "Y-You know what I mean!"

"W-what? What do you mean?"

"Oi, oi, oi, the guilty playing innocent, huh?" Moca leaned in right in front of Mashiro's face, making a face that can only be described as horrifying. Like the face something would make before eating another defenseless creature. Except this time, it was the face someone would make before consuming a unhealthy amount of bread inhumanely fast, or something equally terrifying.

"Yeah!" Himari butted in, supporting Moca and Tomoe. "What've you got to say for yourself? Huh?"

Mashiro couldn't take it anymore. Between Tomoe pinning her against the wall, to Moca's evil stare and off-setting smirk, and the fact she was being threatened in a shady alley near dusk, but most importantly: she was being accused of doing something bad to her girlfriend, the one person she cared about the most in the world.

As much as she tried to hold back the tears, large drops slid from her eyes, trailed down her face, and onto the pavement below as her body shook, sobbing.

"Hey..." she wouldn't be Tomoe if she didn't help her. "Are you okay?" As Tomoe tried to put a hand around Mashiro's shoulder, she only shrunk away in fear. Unbeknownst to them all, a shocked Ran had ran away to deliver the news to Tsugumi who was waiting in the bakery.

The tension unbearably thick. Himari, Tomoe, and Moca didn't know what to do: either comfort Mashiro or continue interrogating her.

"Stay... away!" a trembling voice full of anger suddenly pierced through the darkness and tension. "W-what?!" Tomoe, Himari, and Moca all turned in surprise.

There, in the dim light of the streetlights, stood Tsugumi. Tsugumi, who usually went along with whatever her friends suggested. Tsugumi, who would never hurt a fly. Tsugumi, who rarely would be assertive. Now, there, stood Tsugumi, wielding a 8 inch bread-cutting knife that would also cut through the humans who made her girlfriend cry. 

Her eyes were a tad bit watery, but her aura was the definition of determination. "Move! Away! From! Her! NOW!" screamed Tsugumi, her voice wobbling at first, only to steady in a voice as strong as Yukina's.

Almost hypnotized, they all quickly ran away to Ran, who was standing a bit off into the distance. "W-who is that?!" cried Himari, who was frightened to near death as she clutched onto Tomoe, who's face was also as white as a ghost's.

"It's Tsugumi." whispered Moca, who looked scared for the first time in her life. 

No longer able to contain her emotions, Tsugumi dropped the knife, which landed on the ground with a clatter. Running forward faster than even Hagumi, she sprinted toward Mashiro and wrapped her in her arms, each crying into each others' shoulders. Moca, Tomoe, and Himari could only stand in shocked silence as Ran explained the whole thing.

"So... Last night, when Mashiro slept over at Tsugumi's house, she stole all the blankets in the middle of the night," Ran explained.

They nodded.

"So, um, er... Tsugumi ended up sleeping with no blankets and caught a cold. So that's why she was all red-faced."

"Oh," said Tomoe.

"Oh," said Himari.

"Oh," said Moca.

"That makes a lot of sense," said all three.

Ran stared at them blankly. Yeah, they definitely deserve the title of san-baka, thought Ran. 

In a desperate attempt to make up to her, all three of them acted as personal servants to Mashiro, even Moca, though she required extra nudging from Tomoe. "I only did it for the free bread," she claimed as she carried Mashiro's bag to and from school every day.

Tomoe even put on her old white Tuxedo from the last White's Day, when she helped Kaoru, and acted as a personal butler. "If it makes her feel better," she claimed.

Embarrassed, Tomoe vented to Ako who in turn told all of Roselia. Somehow, word got out to all 5 bands about the ordeal. Even though Tsugumi acted like nothing was wrong, everyone took great care to remember the lesson they were taught and tried their best to prevent themselves from jumping to conclusions ever again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry this was supposed to be a crackfic but... bleh angst angst angst and occasional fluff why can't I write anything funny? 
> 
> sorry it's late and a friend's staying over... still daily updates though. 
> 
> that ending sucked someone please suggest a better one
> 
> update after re-read: less than 2k words? I'm a failure as an author, sorry people :'I


	6. Life's beautiful, isn't it? Tae/Arisa

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whilst talking to Tae, Arisa thinks about some things about the world she lives in. It's much more vibrant and beautiful than she gave it credit for, she realizes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I sorta wrote this on a whim while feeling down, sorry if Tae and Arisa are OOC, I sort of projected myself onto them.   
> To Fueetastic Dreamer, do not worry, I'll somehow power through and get Himari's Cooking Show of Chaos out by the end of today.

Life was simple for Arisa. She would stay in the safety of the basement, occasionally going outside for a walk and watering her bonsai in her garden a few times each day. She hadn't went to her favorite park for a while, though, ever after she bumped in a group of girls from her school. That awkward interaction had made all her desire to see another person dry up, like a drop of water in a blistering desert. People, Arisa had thought, were complicated. She might be top of the class with grades most other students envied, but as smart as she was, she would never be able to understand other people.

You could predict what happens in a book, but you can't predict another person's personality or reaction. Math problems only require some logic and thinking- in the end, they all follow their own rules and formulas, never changing. If only people were as simple, thought Arisa bitterly, not for the first time.

As she sat on her porch, gazing at the sparse and thin white clouds that were slowly drifting through the blue sky, she wished she could be like them. Moving along slowly, at their own pace, going with whatever wind current they were riding on. Crickets occasionally chirped, rubbing their wings against each other in a loud symphony, signaling the weather to come. Her bonsai were all neatly lined up against each other, some on the ground, others on their respective positions on the many shelves she had. Her clipping scissors were propped against the wall, glinting in the sunlight. 

Arisa was tempted to pick them up and trim the ones of the self farther away, near the shed, but decided against it. The days she spent alone were getting fewer and fewer, ever after she had met a starry-eyed girl whose personality was as bubbly as a shaken up soda. How could anyone be like that? Making friends right after meeting someone, talking to whoever she wants? Arisa thought. Her grandma had always told her, it takes all sorts of people to make up the world. 

Back when Arisa had heard that, when she was still in grade school and not even a teenager, she would respond with: then that means there's a lot of nice people in this world, right?

She laughed dryly. Now if you told her that, she would reply, "Yeah, including bad people. Mostly bad people, actually."

Arisa was jealous of Kasumi in a way, of her childlike innocence and trust. She had been like that, once, even if it was years ago. Everyone, while they were young, Arisa believed, trusted people easily and only thought of the best in others. How had Kasumi retained that innocence? After all her years of living in this world, had she never been cut down, betrayed, or hurt by another? 

Or, maybe it's just me. Me who doesn't trust anyone, Arisa's inner thoughts told herself. Nothing had really happened to me that made me like this, Arisa noted. When she was young, she just preferred to stay by herself instead of playing with other kids. As she got older, her reluctance to participate in social activities only grew, so now, even though she's a highschooler, she still only talks to people when it's absolutely necessary.

One day, while browsing through forums online, she read one particular comment that stood out to her. "How do introverts make friends? We don't, (it happens sooner or later) until an extrovert decides to befriend us no matter the cost." That's stupid, Arisa had thought. Correcting herself after meeting Kasumi, she now thought, stupid, but that happened to me once, so not impossible.

These quiet days she spent alone weren't good nor bad, just normal. And even if she was reluctant to be pulled into the crazy antics that Kasumi thought up, including Poppin' Party, in the end, somehow, she always managed to have fun and she never regretted anything. Maybe this is what 'getting out of your comfort zone' means and entails, mused Arisa.

The late morning breeze wafted past her hair as she looked up at the sun, one hand above her eyes. The large and ever-bright sun was high in the sky, signaling that morning time daydreaming was over. School would begin tomorrow, anyways, Arisa pointed out to herself, so she might as well try to finish up her homework and maybe catch up on some well needed sleep. She stood up and dusted off her dress, walking past the yard and into her house. Nearing the basement, she heard her phone ringing. "Oh, great," Arisa grumbled. As much as she hated excessive and unnecessary talking, talking on a phonecall was ten times worse. Running down the stairs, her hip hit against the side of her keyboard. Muttering an angry curse, she sped across the room and grabbed her phone which was on her bed.

Without bothering to see who it was, Arisa frantically answered the call. "Hello? Arisa Ichigaya speaking," she answered, a bit more gruffly than she intended to.

Even without hearing a word, somehow, Arisa knew who it was. "Oh, hi Arisa!" came the reply, simple yet overflowing with meaning and mystery. The one person, incomprehensible yet kind, never judging but hard to understand. Arisa thought back to her earlier thoughts about how people were complicated. But this person, Hanazono Tae, was different. She was hard to understand but simple at the same time. She never asked Arisa for much, but as much as Arisa liked being alone, Tae was one of the few people she enjoyed being with. Not that she'd ever admit that, of course.

But hearing that light and carefree voice, Arisa felt a smile grow on her face. She couldn't help it, but then again- who wouldn't smile while talking to Hanazono Tae? 

"Oh, Tae. Why'd you call me?" she asked, keeping her voice as even as possible. 

"Well... good question. I just wanted to hear your voice, I guess," Tae replied simply.

Feeling her cheeks flare up, Arisa shook her head. How in the world did Tae manage to say these things like it was no big deal? Some people might say she has nothing up in that head of hers, but she said whatever popped up in her head at the moment, usually at the embarrassment of Arisa. 

"W-whatever," Arisa grumbled.

"Did you not want to talk to me?" Tae asked, concern splattered all over her voice.

Arisa was split and stuck. For other people, this was a simple question, easy to answer and straightforward. Nothing to it. But in Arisa's case, her brain just couldn't handle this simple interaction- perhaps because it was talking to Tae, but she ended up blurting out the one thing she shouldn't have said, her heart striking down the possibility of embarrassment. 

"N-No, I actually... well, I actually wanted to talk to you. Kasumi and everyone else, it gets draining when I spend too much time with them, no matter how much, well, fun I have. Even though most of the time I'm more stressed than having fun," Arisa rambled on. Her brain was screaming 'you big idiot!' but her heart was tired of hiding her feelings. Besides, she would be lying if she said she wasn't worried if she had hurt Tae's feelings.

"..." Silence on the other end. Arisa's hands suddenly got slick with sweat, and she felt an edging panic grow in her chest. She felt like she had to say something, anything, to make up for the silence. Hopefully Tae doesn't think I'm a lovestruck lunatic now, Arisa thought anxiously.

"I don't know why, but I actually like your company, even though you're an air-headed bunny loving dork. Well, actually... those are the things I like about you- but that doesn't mean anything! It's just that... it's really relaxing to be around you, and hell if I know why, it just is," Arisa sighed, her face on fire. Did you just say what you really just said? her brain screamed at her. And when did you start rambling about stupid things? Arisa almost said aloud to herself.

But, past the initial embarrassment, Arisa realized something- it kind of felt nice, and she didn't really regret saying those things as much as she expected. She felt so much lighter after declaring the feelings she kept cooped up in her heart for who knows how long. Perhaps when she met first met Tae?

"Awww, Arisa..." came Tae's voice from the phone. "I love you too,"Tae said, gentle yet overflowing with happiness.

Arisa could only gawk at the black phone screen, before launching into a splutter of incomprehensible blabber. "W-what? How did you get to that stupid conclusion?? I- I never said I loved you!" Biting her lip, Arisa's brain could only overthink itself into a frenzy. You just said you don't love Tae, and what if... what if she thinks that means you hate her instead? her brain nagged her. 

"I-I mean, I don't exactly hate you... you're really caring and nice, who could hate you? Besides, when I was afraid of the world, you were there. Someone who never really judged me no matter what I did." Arisa frantically clarified. Then she laughed awkwardly, "Actually, I don't think you would judge anyone, ever. Which is really rare to come upon these days," she said a bit bitterly.

"Actually, I think YOU are the only person who judges yourself. Not anyone else," Tae said cryptically.

Arisa sighed again. Well, there goes Tae again with her nonsensical bits and pieces of "advice", she thought.

But Tae kept on going. "I think, Arisa, in this world... there's more than 7 billion people, right? Well, everyone is so busy all the time they don't really have that much time to judge you, out of all the people they know and'll see."

"Hah? What do you mean?" Arisa scowled. "Here you are again, giving me a headache with your gibberish!"

Tae patiently continued. "What I mean, Arisa, is that... Most people don't realize that others are too busy worrying about themselves to judge others."

"What in the world are you talking about, Hanazono Tae?" asked Arisa, now completely confused. "Care for an explanation that actually makes sense, like how all this "judging people" talk applies to me?"

"Well..." Even though Arisa couldn't see her, she knew that Tae was thinking. "It's just that you get so embarrassed all time. Whenever anyone hugs you, or when I say I love you." Ignoring Arisa's stuttering excuse, she continued. "Whenever Kasumi has an idea that involves us doing something you think is silly in public, you get red-faced and refuse. Remember that time Poppin' Party had that sleepover together to celebrate New Years? You told us a bunch of stuff, remember? About your past, why you didn't really come to school that much. And, it made me think that you were scared and, to put it simply, a bit insecure of what people thought about you."

"What?! Me, insecure?" Arisa asked angrily. Did I really say all that? she asked herself. Her face flushed at the possibility, and she tried to think back to that night. It had been quite a while ago, and she'd been sleepy and fed up with Kasumi's antics, so most memories of that night had been fuzzy. Calling a bluff, she protested, "I have no idea what you're talking about, Tae! I never said anything about that!"

Looking at Tae's face, she knew that she probably did say something of the sort. "In all truth, I might've been like that." Arisa begrudgingly admitted. "But that was in the past," she clarified, putting heavy emphasis on the last four words. 

What she didn't say, Tae knew. That she had changed and come out of her shell when she met Kasumi and everyone else, and when they formed Poppin' Party, coming out of her home more often and to school as well.

"Okay, you got me with all that, but your point is?" Arisa asked again, confused more than ever and wishing if this conversation had never been held in the first place.

Silence again, and then some low humming. "I don't know."

Arisa almost chucked her phone against the wall. "What do you mean, you don't know? Weren't you the person that started talking about all this nonsense in the first place?" she angrily replied.

"Well, I was... but then I forgot what we were going to talk about because I started thinking about guitars made for bunnies." 

Arisa was completely bewildered. 

"Hey Arisa, don't you think it would be nice if someone made guitars for rabbits? Then I could teach my rabbits to play, and then they could join Poppin' Party!" Tae exclaimed, genuinely getting excited about such an absurd idea.

"Tae..." Arisa growled.

"Hrm? Arisa, are you okay? 'Cause you sound a bit angry." Tae observed.

Normally, Arisa would've snapped back with a 'no duh' but she swallowed the urge to say something brazenly. "I-I'm fine, Tae." she said. Except for the fact that- never mind.

"That's good. Hey, do you want to come over and pet my rabbits? It's scientifically proven by me that petting rabbits is really stress-relieving," Tae offered.

Ignoring the urge to tell Tae that she wasn't a scientist, thought she could be a bunny-specialist, Arisa decided that a harmless trip to go meet Tae and some cute rabbits wouldn't hurt. She had nothing planned for the rest of the day except lounging around and questioning life anyways. "Okay, I guess," Arisa agreed.

"I'll get some stuff ready. See you soon!"

"Yeah, same here," Arisa responded with a bit more energy than usual.

They exchanged farewells, then Tae hung up.

Arisa sighed, but she had a smile on her face. Something new happened, and it was definitely and improvement from staying in the same area known as her house all day. She ran up the stairs with a new pep in her step, putting some essentials into her bag and straightening out her clothes."I'll be back soon, Grandma!" she called out, putting on her shoes and opening the door.

"Good to see you're going out more often, Arisa," came the warm reply from her Grandma's room.

Arisa nodded and opened the door, stepping out into the glaring sunlight and hearing the rush of the traffic. It was a bit too bright and a bit too loud, but it was very... how would she describe it. Alive? 

It's actually really nice outside, thought Arisa as she started the walk to Tae's house. Halfway there, she stopped, asking herself why she had chosen to walk there instead of taking the subway, which was way faster. 

She didn't really have an answer, so she tried to play it off by telling herself she did it on a whim. Arisa wondered why such a small detail like that would make her feel so off. She groaned at all the dumb questions her brain was barraging herself with. But then again, didn't some old guy say that life is interesting because we don't know most of the answers to the many questions we ask ourselves everyday, Arisa asked herself. She inwardly laughed a bit, thinking of how silly the whole thing was. "Tae's got me spewing this nonsense now too, huh?" she said to nobody in particular.

But it was a nice feeling. What it was caused by or why she was feeling this way, she wasn't sure. But what she did know was that it felt really nice outside, and that the smile on her face was growing wider with every step forward. It was a simple thing, walking to a friend's house, but somehow, to Arisa, it felt like so much more.

As Arisa sat with Tae, petting the rabbits and feeding them carrots, she somehow ended up telling Tae all her thoughts on the way to her house.

Tae had just sat there and listened. "That's just how life is," she said. "And it's exactly what you said. That's what make life so interesting, all these nonsensical thoughts and moments. Don't you think so too, Arisa?" she tilted her head slightly, brushing a stray strand of hair from her eyes.

Light brown eyes met green, and all Arisa could think about was the depth in those eyes, and how they were the most impeccably beautiful thing in the entire world. Sorta like emeralds, except ten times prettier, she thought, a light blush creeping up on her face.

"Hey, Tae. Why do people call you air-headed?" Arisa asked on a whim, which was strange, since Arisa never did things on a whim.

"But Arisa, didn't you call me that earlier, when you were talking to me on the phone?" Tae asked.

"Well, that was before. It's just that, as weird as it sounds, I get the feeling that you're smarter than you come off as.

Tae shook her head slightly, hair falling in front of her eyes again. "But aren't you the top student? I get average, and sometimes worse than average grades. I guess I'm pretty skilled at the guitar and I know a bit more than other people about rabbits, but..." 

This time Arisa shook her head. "No, that's not what I meant. Not grade-wise. I don't think grades are accurate at all on how smart someone is, they're just some dumb thing some other old dead guy made up. I mean... life-wise. You're just seem to know a lot, even if you randomly say weird stuff without context all the time."

Slowly putting down the rabbit she was holding, Tae suddenly leaned over and hugged Arisa. "Arisa, has anyone ever told you that you're really sweet and kind?" Tae asked, like it was no big deal. But that was Tae, so Arisa was a bit used to it by now.

"Wah? Hey, what are you doing, hugging me all of a sudden like that?!" stammered Arisa. Her face softened. "I don't know where you got that question from, but according to my memory, yeah. But what does that have to do with anything?"

Tae leaned into Arisa and buried her face into her shoulder, ignoring Arisa's half-hearted stammers and protests. "It's just that..." Tae drifted off.

"What is it?! Hurry up and ask, and stop hugging me already!" Arisa demanded.

"..." more silence, accompanied by slow breathing. 

Arisa groaned, asking the same questions that no one had the answers too. "Why was it that I had to fall in love with this doofus, and why did she have to fall asleep like this?!" she whisper-screamed.

She sighed, gazing at the peaceful figure that lay still, still holding her in a tight embrace. Just this once, Arisa told herself, settling down and relaxing, I'll allow it. The grass was dry and lush, plenty and soft. The sky was a crisp, clear, light blue, and the sun shined down, with the edges of the roof blocking most of it's rays and only leaving a lingering warmth. "This is really nice," Arisa said to herself again. She yawned. "It's fine, because even if something crazy happens and Kasumi or another human being sees me like this, they won't live to tell the tale," Arisa causally said her threat to the sky.

I should really stop talking to myself, Arisa thought in her head. Like, really. But that aside... it's really comfy here, and I'm just a bit tired, which makes sense 'cause talking to Tae kills off all your braincells.

Life can be beautiful, even though it's also stupidly complicated, thought Arisa as she drifted off into dreamland, or should I say, Hanazono Land. Which was accurate enough, since Arisa's dreams were full of bunnies playing guitars and Tae directing them while she sat in the audience. In her dream, Arisa decided that the song that they played for her wasn't half bad, either. Maybe I can turn it into a Poppin' Party song... maybe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> drained of energy, but hey, writing is fun so I'll somehow get the next requests out today. somehow. thanks for all the kudos, I never expected more than 5!


	7. Dualism of the west (western au)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this scene but in over-exaggerated anime form appeared while i was listening to kakumei dualism,  
> and then my brain dumped this onto paper  
> and now this.. thing exists. i should get some sleep

Tumbleweed bushes slowly rolled across the dusty soil and came to a stop near a decaying wooden barrel. It was sundown in a ghost town, or so it seemed. From the salon to the general market, each and every door was closed shut and a few windows were even boarded with makeshift barriers of old wood and rusted nails. It was late in the day, signified by the top half of the sun glowing orange and setting in the horizon. 

A cold breeze shook and rustled the sparse shrubbery near the middle of Main Street as a tall shadow appeared. “You’re here.” A simple statement, but behind the two words was a powerful, steadfast voice that many knew and feared. The shadow elongated before shortening and coming to a stop. On the east side of the wide roadway, at the foot of the shadow, stood a majestic figure, facing the setting sun with her head held high.

Those brave enough to peek at the showdown from the safety of their homes all whispered the same name in intimidated awe.

“The blooming rose of purple flames, eh?” the defendant came to a stop. She was slightly taller than the challenger, but hidden away in shadow, only a silhouette amidst the sun. “I’ve heard some talk about you, but I doubt that you’re all that great… just another third-rate so-called hotshot, I bet.” Her voice was deep and controlled, yet underneath it all was a furious flame, burning brighter than the sun she stood in front of.

A scoff from her opponent. “Mitake Ran… or should I say, the defiant red rebel? These titles are nothing but meaningless farce, only silly things people tend to hide behind.” A contemptuous tone, but underneath the pride was hidden curiosity and a hint of respect. “Nevertheless, it’s fitting that you came here at this time. Not a mere coincidence either… considering your rowdy group of bandits are named after the afterglow of the sunset.”

“Cut the talk,” Ran snapped. “What’re you doing here? Don’t you know that this town is under the protection and control of Afterglow? You just can’t barge in here.” She took a bold step forward and planted her foot in a secure spot, anchoring her against the ground. Above the torn jeans that were tucked into her shin-length black boots was a leather belt with multiple pockets and a holster. She smoothly placed a hand at the silver edge of the scuffed metal poking out of the holster top. “No matter how you look at it, I’m the Silversling Champion of this town. Don’t go poking your nose where it doesn’t belong. Go find your own town and do it fast,” she growled. 

“Ooh~ Ran-chan’s being all menacing-” 

“Shush! Moca, remember what Ran told you? Don’t butt in- look, she could’ve heard you!” A rough whisper and a grunt interrupted the suspenseful air before silence settled once more. 

“Moca…” Ran seethed, trying to hide her reddening face. 

“Oops, it looks like she’s already heard me~,” an ivory haired girl drawled, a slight smirk across her face. 

“Hmph, so that’s the acclaimed Afterglow?” the other shadow said. “Mitake-san, weren’t you the person who said to cut the unnecessary talk?” She fluidly moved her hand to the side of her dress, hand curling lightly around a shining piece of metal that was tucked away in a hidden seam. High-strung boots added a couple of inches to her height, but the famous songstress already had a prideful aurora around her, and it wasn’t some fake ego like many others that came before and still are to come. Her confidence and pride were built up from a steady foundation of skills and beliefs that had never failed her- she wasn’t just bluffing.

“Minato Yukina… I’m getting tired of your acts. No matter how much the townspeople fear you, you’re no match for me. I thought I made it clear that I’m the champion of the entire Ciralaxy area, and the Silverslinger of this town,” Ran said, scowling. 

“You’re simply not worthy of controlling, much less  _ protecting _ , an area or town like this,” Yukina replied coolly. “Why don’t you leave now, admit defeat, and take your ragtag group of bandits that are playing deputy with you and let someone who knows what they’re doing take the reins?” 

The cool black sides of a volcano will eventually reach boiling point, and a streak of angry, fiery red will trickle down, erupting in pent-up anger. “Someone like you has no right to insult my friends, calling yourself the best and all that crap without even acknowledging the people that have carried you this far!” she shouted, pulling out the discreet metal object out from the holster and holding it high. A red-haired person who Yukina presumed to be someone from Afterglow ran out, carrying a heavy speaker case. Ran held the shining microphone loosely and threw the line out, which the red-haired girl caught and plugged into the speaker. 

“Bring it on,” she growled. “You’ll see who’s the real champion of this town!” 

But before she could make a move, the lilac haired vocalist gracefully flicked open the bottom of her own microphone and in a smooth, fell swoop, extended and placed a stand out. Yukina gripped the sides of the mic tightly, anticipating her opponent’s next move. She was careful not to damage the vine of blue roses snaking down the microphone stand and readied herself in her standard battle stance. A thin silver crown was tucked into her long hair, with a pin resembling a mini-bouquet of blue roses of different hues on top. She had an intricate dress on, but despite the layers of ruffles and decorations, it was designed to not inhibit her movement.

A ginger-haired girl dashed out behind the parlor veranda and carefully placed a large speaker on the ground as well, connecting the microphone to it. “You can do it, Yukina~!” she cheered, before darting back to her previous spot.

Yukina closed her eyes and straightened her back, her left hand gripping the microphone while her right was held straight out in a flourish.

Ran steadied herself and held her mic in front of her, narrowing her eyes with a roguish expression across her face. Yukina’s eyes suddenly flashed open with an overloading intensity, staring straight at Ran who stood stout and still as ever.

Piercing golden eyes met unrelenting red ones- it was as if time had suddenly stopped, as if only they existed right now.

An unstoppable force- Yukina knew exactly what she wanted and never doubted herself. In the end, no matter what, she would achieve her goal.

An unmovable passion- Ran, who would never run or budge against the face of adversity, someone who’d always stay by her friends' sides, no matter what.

At the exact same time, a tiny trace of a grin appeared on Ran’s face as the barest hint of a smile crept across Yukina’s face. Though they were opponents, they respected each other’s strength. And as if coordinated together and not because of coincidence, they both started singing passionately with all their soul- two undying voices that refused to be silenced, powerful and inspiring, in a duel that lasted far past the sundown.

  
  


“Um, Yukina-san? It’s really cold out here… I’m freezing! Doesn’t your throat hurt from all that singing?” Ako piped up, peering out behind her hiding spot. 

“Yeah, Yukina, I don’t want you to hurt yourself either.” Lisa motioned at the empty flasks that were littered around Yukina. “Water can only do so much, and you might catch a cold, too! It’s already…” 

Sayo glanced up at the sky, murmuring quietly to herself. After a couple of seconds, she responded, “It’s almost 11:30… they’ve been ‘dueling’ forth hours now.” She stood up and walked over to Yukina. “Weren’t you the person who said that reaching the top is pointless if you hurt yourself along the way? A strained throat can develop into something worse.”

A girl with short brown hair was also tending to Ran, who, just like her opponent, was out of breath and accordingly tired. 

Yukina stood up a bit straighter and responded, “There’s not a clear victor yet. We have to continue!”

Lisa ran out and sighed, putting a warm hand on Yukina’s shoulder. “It’s okay, there’s still gonna be other chances. There’s still a lot of places that are open without a band, and I’m sure we can find one that’s nice. It’s not like we’re parting forever too, I’m sure you’ll have other chances to go against Ran again.” She started cautiously walking towards Ran, but the red-haired drummer stopped her.

“We’ve, erm, discussed this with Ran and,” she lowered her voice to a whisper, “though Ran doesn’t especially like it-”

“Tomoe, I heard that!” 

“Ah, we think it’s the best if we call it a tie. Himari’s sneezing a lot and we’re afraid she’ll get sick out here, and we’re also pretty worried about Ran’s voice. She gets really passionate and fiery when she’s fired up like this.”

She lowered her voice again. “She’ll never show it, but she’s actually been looking foward to singing against Yukina. But she’s already finished all our current songs and she’s almost through all our covers, too… wait, what happens when one side runs out of songs to sing?”

Ran shot Tomoe another annoyed look. “Anyone would be excited to go against someone as…” she paused. “As well known as Minato-san.”

Tomoe nodded, stretching and leaning against the wooden wall. “Yeah, we’ll call it a tie. It was a good match, but we’ve really gotta get going-”

“No.” 

“Yukina? What’s wrong?” Lisa turned around, eyes speckled with concern.

The liliac-haired vocalist cleared her throat before speaking. “We might end this duel without a clear victor in sight, but that doesn’t mean it’s a tie. Mitake Ran, we’ll meet again, and I assure you that when we do, the final result will not be a stalemate.”

  
Ran stepped forward as well, the tiniest hint of a smile on her face that betrayed the gruff voice she spoke in. “I assure  _ you _ that I won’t be losing either. Not to mention that when we meet again, my improvement will leave you in shock. Though, I’m sure that’ll be true for you too.”


End file.
